Willis Towers Watson P.L.C. on Monday said it has appointed Neil Irwin as leader of its Central and Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa region, effective immediately.

Mr. Irwin, who will be based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, will also act as the head of corporate risk and broking for the region, Willis Towers Watson said in a statement. He is replacing Gianmarco Tosti, who was named country leader of Italy, and Simon Gilliat, who has left the company.

Mr. Irwin most recently led global distribution at Cigna Global Health Benefits, working between Dubai and the U.S. He has been working in the region since 2009, where he led business development for EMEA and India at Marsh Ltd. for four years, and was managing director for Marsh’s operations in the Middle East and Africa from 2013 to 2016.

“This is an important, high-potential region for us,” Adam Garrard, Willis Towers Watson’s head of international, said in the statement. “Neil has invaluable experience of managing complex businesses across different cultures and commercial environments, so he is a great fit for this role.”